Okay you probably know the drill my now, hehe. This is a continuuation from CS3, CS4 and CS5 in which after Band Candy Giles and Joyce started dating, became engaged in CS4 and got married towards the end of CS5. Not strictly nesscecary to read CS3, 4 and 5 to read this, but couldn't hurt could it?

Also thanks to all the lovely people who reviewed CS5 all the way.

g120- Glad in a bad way that CS5 finishing was so heartbreaking for you. .::smiles::. Hehe. And you'll just have to see how the Scooby Gang fare and also, re the whole Joyce there to be Mom- well, you shalt see in this chapter.

Rabidreject- Thank you so much- what you said inflated by ego by a whole centimeter more. And, actually, I feel the same on the whole how much Joyce can effect season front. And well, you didn't have to wait long didja? Hehe. Just two days.

Zigpal- Thanks so much for review, and of course the claps. Glad you thought Joyce's thoughts on patrol were spot on. It's those kinda comments that make a girl proud .::wipes dramatic tear from eye::. Reall though, thank you.So anyway, on with the show.

"Come on!"

Spike's cheer failed to move the rest of the group any faster as they all ran after the huge vamp they were chasing. And we're talking huge sumo-size huge...so, Spike was extremely exasperated when the slow pace of the others caused them to lose the vampire for the second time.

"I'm never gonna get anything killed with you lot holding me back!" He complained just as they caught up to him, all heavily winded.

"I thought," Tara said as she tried to catch her breath, "The big ones...tire more easily"

"No, that just over-the-hill shopkeepers," Spike told her with a look of disdain in Giles' direction.

"I'm fine," Giles said, his heavy breathing saying other wise, "I just need to...die a minute..."

"Where did he go?" Joyce asked, looking around.

"I dunno," Spike replied, "Could have gone that way," He pointed in one direction, before pointing in another, "Or that way"

"Well, maybe we should split up- surround him," Joyce suggested.

"Ye- wait, isn't red meant to be telling us these things?" He grumbled looking around as though searching in the air for one of Willow's telepathic instructions.

Guys heads up.

"We're in business," Spike grinned as Willow's voice floated into all their heads.

The vampire's circling back towards you. Six o' clock. Try to drive him towards the Van Elton crypt.

"Van Elton?" Giles asked Willow aloud, not sure which crypt she was referring to.

"Is that the one with the cute little gargoyle-" Tara began to ask but was cut off abruptly by the vampire bursting back into the clearing,making a huge racket as he knocked the bushes aside, breaking the branches.

"Well, that was rude," Joyce commented, when she saw how affronted Tara looked by this interruption.

GUYS! Willow reminded them and the group set off after the vampire as it ran away in the opposite direction. Left! Make him go left!

"Well, how are-" Spike began to ask, but his question was answered by Giles throwing a battle axe. It embedded itself in the tree to the right of the vampire and so...it ran left.

And they ran after it.

They arrived just in time to see the vamp run right into Willow's trap as he reached a dead end. He barely had time to express panic and confusion before a fist came out and knocked him for six. Standing in front of him, in full slayer-pose, was Buffy. Or more specifically the Buffybot.

"Big, fast and dumb," Buffybot commented menacingly, "Just the way I like em" She kicked the fallen vamp and he stumbled even further backwards along the ground. And while he struggled to retain some equilibrium, Buffybot reached for her stake. She turned around to find he had already stood up and he looked mighty pissed. Before she could even attempt to dust him, he knocked the stake from her hands. He leaped for her, but the rest of the group jumped into the fray, knocking him aside out of her way, but only barely.

Tara and Joyce tried to push him against the crypt wall, ready for staking, but he pushed against them, knocking them aside and charging forward in the direction of Buffybot again. They had barely stood up again when they heard Willow yelling at them Tara! Joyce! Down! They ducked down just as Buffybot went sailing over their heads.

Whilst Sumo-Vamp watched the fallen 'Slayer' and Tara and Joyce got back up again, Giles attacked the vampire with the retrieved battle axe. It seemed to work at first, before the vampire used the weapon against him, pushing him up against the crypt wall where Tara and Joyce had been previously stood and began choking him with the battle axe.

As he clearly struggled for oxygen and was unable to shove the huge vampire off him, Joyce looked around for the stake the Buffybot had dropped only a moment ago. Rushing over, she grabbed it and ran back to the vampire and Giles. She staked the vamp in the heart through the back just as Spike reached them all. The vampire was dust and the axe clattered to the ground as Joyce stood there, still holding the stake.

"That's mine," Buffybot stated as she walked over, having recovered from her fall. She quickly and suddenly took the stake out of Joyce's hands.

"Are you okay?" Giles asked Joyce, rubbing his neck slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Joyce said abruptly, giving him a look that said 'why did you even ask?', "You were the one getting choked," Her tone was slightly harsh, but she had walked off in the same direction as Spike before anyone could comment on it.

Guys! Willow exclaimed at them all, Help Xander and Anya! Over by Anderson's tomb!

And then they were running again. All they ever seemed to do on patrol was run. The group arrived at the designated tomb just in time to see Anya swatted away by the vampire's hand into a nearby wall. The vampire, at the same time, had Xander in a painful-looking headlock.

"I got it!" Buffybot told them all, running over to the vampire. As she attacked the vamp, Xander managed to scramble free,much to his obvious relief. Buffybot wasn't doing too well though and took some brutal hits from the vampire, before Spike stepped in to help. He decked him and the vamp fell on his ass, allowing Buffybot to reach forward and stake him.

"That'll put marzipan in your pie plate, Bingo!" She told him as he turned to ash.

"What's with the Dadaism, Red?" Spike asked and as the group fell into the explanation, Giles turned to Joyce.

"Rather an eventful patrol tonight, don't you think?" He asked.

"Yeah," She shrugged, "I suppose so. It was only two vampires though," She reasoned, "There's usually more." She shrugged again, still not quite looking him in the eye as she hadn't done throughout the patrol, "We'll probably have more tomorrow" And with that she abruptly walked off, presumably heading towards the car.

Giles watched her go in concern. Straight after Buffy died, Joyce had been fully against all things patrol,not even wanting to allow the others to continue it. But then, the following week, Dawn had been attacked by a vampire on the way home from Chloe's. She'd been fine- luckily, Xander had been driving by when it happened and had immediately stopped to help her. Yet, this has caused a complete turnaround in Joyce.

From then on she had always found a babysitter for Dawn and had gone out on patrol herself every single night with everyone else. Never missing a one. She had taken an extremely formal attitude to the entire thing. Just going out, staking any vampires Willow pointed out, helping the others. The Plunge-and-move-on Routine. Giles was deeply worried for her. She seemed to be loosing herself in the patrolling, forgetting all other aspects of her life. He doubted she knew he had heard the message, but the answering machine had a call from Carole wondering why Joyce had hardly been in at the Gallery at all lately.

She seemed, Giles hazarded a guess, to be trying to take on Buffy's role of protecting Dawn from the big, bad Evil out there. Determined that none of it would hurt Dawn...or anyone else. But it was dangerous for her to become so involved, so...obsessed. She wasn't the Slayer so she could and probably would get hurt, not to mention Dawn missed her at night. She had confessed as much to him a couple of weeks ago. Giles had reassured her, saying it was nothing, saying it was just to keep her safe 'blah, blah' but deep down he was worried about Joyce. Worried that the real truth was that she had a death wish.

This was a worry he hadn't been able to clarify or dismiss at all. She was so distant from him lately. Practically ever since Buffy died. Barely talking to him. Well, she did talk to him, it was just never a conversation. In all honesty, he wasn't worried for Joyce, he feared for her.

""...so if you could just call me back, Joyce, let me know what's going on, when you'll be in, you know, that'd be nice. Plus it's the opening tomorrow night so we do really need you there so...Okay well...bye"

Beep!

End of messages"

As Joyce finished listening to numerous answer phone messages left by people from work, she decided that today she really had to make time to go in. She'd just been so busy lately...with things. Not to mention after what happened she hadn't exactly been in the working mood. But she couldn't even tell her friends from work that, because they weren't even to know Buffy had died. They had no idea that something earth shattering and life altering had happened to her. No idea.

After making this decision, and finding she felt better for it, she walked through the living room into the kitchen to find the Buffybot there. She was just sat there, on one of the stools, swinging her legs casually as she looked around. This is what made it so much harder. It was bad enough having to see her everyday, reminding her that while it seemed like Buffy was here with them, she wasn't and never would be, but the bot had taken up permanent residence at the house as there was little room for it at Xander's and the university kinda frowned on students having life-like robots in their dorms.

"Hi Mom," The Buffybot smiled. Yep, that was made it even harder- when the bot called her 'Mom'.

"Hi," Joyce replied uncomfortably, before heading to the fridge to get herself some juice. She changed her mind half way as she realized this morning was more the start of a coffee day.

"Would you like some help?" Buffybot asked as she started making the coffee and Joyce shook her head.

"No, it's okay, but thanks,"

"Is there something I could do?" She asked, obviously eager to be helpful. Joyce found herself almost smiling as she thought on the fact Buffy would never try and find a way to help with breakfast if she could avoid it. "I could make breakfast for Dawn," The bot suggested, "Or for lunch"

"Erm," Joyce looked around for something the bot could do, "Well, you could erm...you could make a sandwich for Dawn. For school. The bread's over there and the peanut butter is in that cupboard. Along with the jelly"

"Okay," Buffybot nodded with a smile, walking over to the pointed out places to get what she needed.

"But only two sandwiches though," Joyce reminded her as she thought on the day before where Dawn had agreed to let the bot help with dinner and everything had been made in triplicate...and triplicate again.

And while Buffybot worked away on Dawn's lunch, Joyce started on her breakfast. Pancakes were always a safe bet. Once she poured the mixture into the pan, she left it for a moment to step out of the kitchen slightly and call:

"Dawn! Breakfast! If you don't hurry up you'll be late for school!"

She walked back to the pan to flip the pancake. She was halfway through the second when she realized Dawn still hadn't come downstairs.

"Daw-" She began to shout when she turned to see Giles walk into the kitchen, still in his bathrobe.

"She's still in the bathroom," He informed her tiredly as he took a seat across from the Buffybot.

"She's still...?" She sighed in exasperation, "You finish breakfast," She told him, before walking out of the room and heading to the stairs.

"DAWN!" She called up, "You need to get ready! You don't want to be late for school!"

There was the sound of a door opening and then loud footsteps walking across the landing above. Dawn came stomping down the stairs loudly, she barely acknowledged her Mom was there before stomping right past her. Joyce shook her head and sighed in resignation before following on.

She stopped though when she was distracted by the front door opening as Willow and Xander walked in without knocking- a habit they seemed to have adopted over the years.

"Hey, no need to fear anymore," Xander announced, "I am a man and I have a tool"

Off Joyce's look, he suddenly turned very red before holding up his toolbox, "Tools. As in box of. As in...I'm a carpenter and tools is what...can I smell pancakes?" He walked off in the direction of the kitchen, following his nose.

"Morning," Willow smiled, "Just came over to work on the Buffybot's programming- you know try to get rid of that whole pie plate complex"

"Ah," Joyce nodded, "Well, she's just in the kitchen,"

As the two walked in they saw Buffybot had finished making Dawn's lunch and was now questioning Xander about his toolbox. Giles had finished Dawn's pancakes and she was eating grudgingly as though she weren't in the mood for eating at all.

"Uh, Rupert," Joyce said, as she reached around to get the cup of coffee she had left forgotten on the side a moment ago, "Tomorrow night is an opening at the gallery- so will you be here to look after Dawn?"

"I am here you know," Dawn said before Giles could reply, "And I can stay home on my own in a locked house."

"No," Joyce said firmly.

"But I'm fifteen years-"

"No," Joyce insisted, "I'm not leaving you here alone. I don't care what you say. It's not happening"

"It makes me feel like such a kid though," Dawn protested, "And I'm not. I'm the same age Buffy was when she became...the Slayer..." She trailed off quietly, realizing that was the wrong thing to say.

Silence fell on the entire kitchen and remarkably even the Buffybot stopped chattering.

"Would you like Spike to stay instead?" Joyce asked eventually, "Would that make it less childish?"

"No," Dawn told her before adding, "But slightly cooler." she looked at Giles apologetically, "No offense"

"None taken I assure you,"

"Fine, Spike will look after you tomorrow night which means, Rupert?"

"Hmm?"

"You can patrol with the others" The statement left no room for debate. Joyce looked down at her watch and her eyes widened, "Oh, I've got to get going if I'm going to make to the gallery for a working hour. You'll all be okay here?"

"Yeah, sure," Willow nodded, before returning to look at the soldering wire Xander was showing her to use on the Buffybot.

"You're going to the gallery?" Dawn asked carefully and Joyce nodded.

"Yes, I mean I've been neglecting it a little lately. It's about time I started focusing more on it," She told her and no one seemed to notice how these words registered on a lot deeper level for Dawn.

"But Mom, what about school?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, erm," Joyce paused in thought, before making a decision, "Well, I'm, I'm sure Xander won't mind driving you there"

"Yeah, no problemo,"Xander nodded, "Me and the Dawnster will drive at the fastest..." He trailed off as both Joyce and Giles threw him a warning look and he immediately chose to finish his sentence a different way, "non-speed ever,"

"Mom," Dawn said again, "I don't mean about driving me there. It's Parent-Teacher day at school and as parent...you're sorta supposed to come," Joyce frowned, "You didn't forget did you?"

"That's today?" Joyce asked, frowning in confusion. She was sure it was meant to be next week.

"That or the banners that have been advertising it in the corridors were lying," Dawn joked feebly with an equally feeble smile

"Oh, right," Joyce switched which she foot she was putting most weight on as she contemplated what Dawn had told her, "O-okay, well let me just call Carole and we'll, uh, we'll head over."

Joyce left the room to make the call from the living room phone rather than the kitchen one.

"Why does she keep doing that?" Dawn asked Giles pleadingly and Willow and Xander suddenly wished they had somewhere else to escape to, but they didn't. They were trapped.

"Doing what, Dawn?"

"Forgetting things like Parent-Teacher Day," She explained, "She keeps hugging me when one of us comes home or one of us leaves and she's really, really protective but she barely seems to be actually paying attention to me..my life. She just keeps forgetting," Dawn sounded terribly upset, "Guess it pales in comparison to patrol, huh?" She asked them all bitterly.

"Dawn, that's not it at all," Giles assured her, "Your Mother just wants you to be safe- that's her number one priority right now."

"But it's all she ever does," Dawn protested sadly.

"Well that's the Hellmouth for ya," Xander said, attempting to add levity to the situation, but Dawn didn't even crack a smile so he became more serious, "Your Mom isn't forgetting you Dawn, there's just a lot of stuff going on now. Everything will get back to normal soon, I promise,"

"How can it?" Dawn challenged, "When Buffy isn't here? Things will never be normal again as long as she's gone!"

No one replied, because they all knew what she was saying was true. Xander, feeling so uncomfortable he truly couldn't bear it started throwing the stuff he had put on the side, back into his bag, making sure not to take Joyce's handbag with it.

"Right, all set," Joyce announced with a morning-smile as she walked back into the kitchen. She then became acutely aware of the tense atmosphere in the room. She decided to avoid it. "Dawn, you ready to go?"

"Yep," Dawn managed a weak, brief smile before grabbing her bag off the side and heading out the back door. Joyce sighed at the rest of the group, before following her daughter out.

Night had fallen and Spike was looking after Dawn. Everyone else was on patrol.

"You look a little happier tonight niblet," Spike commented as he tried to find a decent song on the radio to play in the background, "I thought you didn't like your Mum patrolling and that" She confessed this to him the last time he had babysat. Though she'd kill him (or attempt to) if she found out he referred to it as that- babysitting. It wasn't that he thought she needed babysitting, or saw it as boring but what else was he supposed to call it? What the boy called it? Dawn Patrol? Not bloody likely.

"Well, I don't," Dawn admitted, "But tonight's kinda different. The rest of the gang are patrolling somewhere else they said- different side of Sunnydale or something- so that means Mom and Giles are patrolling together"

"And this...is the cause for 'the happies'?" Spike asked slowly, not understanding what she was getting at.

Dawn looked down forlornly for a moment at the floor before seeming to decide to make a confession.

"They haven't been getting on very well lately," Dawn told him, "Things have been kinda tense between them ever since...well, you know"

"Yeah, I know," Spike told her in the serious tone he so very rarely used.

"But lately it's been extra. Kinda since the school year started...as though that was one thing too many," Dawn looked at Spike and for a moment she looked innocently child-like, more so than usual, "I was afraid they were gonna get a divorce or something. Like with Dad"

"I don't think things are that bad, love," Spike scoffed not unkindly.

"I know," Dawn rushed to agree, "But still...it gave me bad feelings in my belly. I mean Giles keeps trying to be all smiley with Mom...but she's just as distant with him as she is with me. It's like she doesn't wanna be close with...with anyone"

Spike scrutinized Dawn with interest.

"What?" She asked, wondering what he was looking at.

"You know, you're a lot more insightful...you've got more about you than they give you credit for," He told her honestly and it brought a little smile to her lips, the compliment obviously making her feel very pleased. Proud of herself even.

"Well, anyway," She said, trying to act as though she had taken the huge compliment in her stride, "So when they said they were patrolling alone together tonight...well, it made me very happy, coz it means they might be okay." Then suddenly, Dawn's expression turned to one of guilt and Spike immediately spotted it.

"What?" He asked, leaning forward towards her slightly, "What else? Have you done something?" He grinned at the thought of Dawn going behind Giles' back, but then realized he was meant to be playing the responsible babysitter and he forced his smile to disappear, "Something bad, I mean and so something that should be immediately rectified"

"Well," She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, "You know like I said it was Mom who was being all distanty?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I was kinda afraid she was gonna mess it up. Make it all worse, so..." Dawn bit her lip nervously, looking ironically like the Mother of which she was talking about, "remember the band candy?"

"Yeah," Spike couldn't help but laugh a little at the memory, "Really gave 'em all a run when it was time to meet-the-parents didn't it?"

"And you know like they thought they'd got rid of any that was left?" Dawn asked and Spike nodded.

"Yeah, like straight after...wait." He frowned at Dawn, "What do you mean 'they thought'?"

"I only saved like two little squares of one bar!" Dawn exclaimed in her defense, "You know for future help. You know," Dawn shrugged, "To loosen them up if they wouldn't let me go to a party or something..you know, so they'd be more likely to say yes," When Spike didn't comment on this, reprimand her or anything, Dawn took it as encouragement to continue, "Well tonight, before they went patrolling...I kinda made Mom a hot chocolate"

Spike's eyes widened.

"It was only one of the squares!" Dawn hurriedly informed him, "That's all! The rest was normal hot chocolate! It didn't even seem to effect her that much...I just wanted her to be relaxed enough that she wouldn't..." Dawn became sad again, "that she wouldn't push Giles away..."

Spike didn't say anything. He was still processing the fact Dawn had essentially drugged her Mother. He couldn't believe it.

"You could hold my hand," Joyce suggested as she and Giles walked through Restfield Cemetery, "It could be like a date," She paused in thought, "A really dark, creepy date...but still"

Giles smiled at Joyce in bemusement.

"What?" She asked.

"What has gotten into you tonight?" He asked.

"I don't know," She told him honestly, "Guess I'm just taking the opportunity to enjoy having some rare time to ourselves," She eventually told him, slipping her hand in his.

"Which I appreciate, I really do," He said, only briefly touching on how happy he was that Joyce had suddenly become so less distant in the mere twenty minutes they'd been alone, "But considering the fact we're in a Sunnydale cemetery, I think perhaps our attention should be on vampires"

"Well, if what I've heard is true," She said as the two of them leaned against a particularly tall gravestone, "then Buffy and Angel did both... so why can't we?" She asked him, but then realizing who'd she'd mentioned, her smile faded.

"It is okay to say her name you know," He told her softly, "Without having to fall into mourning again. It's the way you...we keep her alive, for real. Talking about her."

Joyce nodded in silent agreement and instead of kissing him as she had initially intended she just rested her head against his shoulder, still holding his hand.

Almost naturally, the two of them sat down together on the stone seat-like thing next to the gravestone, Joyce still resting her head on him as they held hands.

"So, Buffy used to have to do this every night?" Joyce half-asked as she glanced around the empty cemetery.

"Yes," Giles told her as he realized there was perhaps another reason to Joyce's sudden gusto for patrol. It was a way to better understand Buffy's life perhaps- another connection to her, another way of not letting her fade from their existence, keeping her alive.

"Did she ever get bored with it?" She asked him, "Doing the same old thing every night?"

"I don't think that was what caused her boredom," Giles admitted, "Rather when there were no vampires to dust she became bored. She used to bring yo-yos and snack food," He smiled wistfully at the memory as he remembered how Buffy had just yo-yoed innocently over someones grave or drank her soda loudly through a straw as she waited for the undead to rise, "And then there were the times she used to patrol with Angel...or Riley and then that was an entirely different form of distraction I believe"

Joyce craned her neck slightly to kiss Giles on the lips every so slightly, brushing his lips lightly with her own.

"Yes, that was the general idea," He agreed,straightening his glasses slightly with the arm that wasn't wrapped around Joyce.

"I don't know whether to thank you or apologize," She told him and he looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry I've been so...terrible lately,"

"You've not been-" Giles began to protest but Joyce spoke over him.

"Yes, I have. I've been barely speaking two words to you, I've been increasingly distant with Dawn...I'm a terrible Mother"

"What?" Giles asked incredulously, "That is ridiculous. In no way at all are you a bad Mother-"

"Well, that's what I wanted to say thank you for," She told him, cutting Giles off slightly again, "Thanks for putting up with it...with me...and the way I've been,"

"Joyce, there-"

"ARGH!" Giles' reply was cut off by the sound of a woman screaming. A second later the owner of the voice ran out of the bushes, followed closely by a tall and lanky vampire dressed in what seemed to be a Prom Tuxedo circa 1981.

"Well, this is decidedly bad timing," Giles commented as the two of them stood up before running to try and catch the vampire before it reached the young girl.

They never did quite catch up, the vampire having vamp-speed as an advantage obviously, but he ran his intended victim into a dead end and Joyce and Giles were able to use this to their advantage. Ish.

Giles tackled the vamp, and the two of them went crashing into the wall. He immediately went to stake him, but the vampire shoved him aside and he went toppling into the opposite wall.

"Rupert," Joyce barely had time to exclaim in worry, before she had to return her attention back to the vampire who was cornering the girl again. But when she pulled him away, he showed how looks were deceiving as he tossed her aside as easily as if she were a piece of lint. The vampire then seemed think she was easier prey and started cornering her, backing her up against the crypt. She searched around for the stake she knew she had in her pocket and saw it several paces away from her, way out of her reach.

"Joyce," Giles, wielding his own stake, headed over to help her but was suddenly blindsided by a female vampire- who, presumably was the male vampire's 'girlfriend'. Twisted.

As she pushed him backwards he grabbed her shoulders and spun her around so she was the one heading for the crypt wall.

Joyce realized Giles was kinda busy for lack of a better word and so desperately looked around for something she could stake the vampire with as it's fangs became precariously close to her neck. She briefly hoped that the scar on her neck wasn't going to give him a better target.

As Giles grabbed the stake and went to pierce the vampire's heart, her survival and vampire instincts kicked in overtime and so she kicked him.

Joyce realized the only pointy wooden object around was unfortunately the stake she'd dropped so she had no other option but to try and get to it. She did the only thing she could to stall the vampire- elbowed him the face. He stumbled, but only slightly, yet it was still enough to give her room to crawl away towards the stake.

Giles backhanded his vampire effectively, causing her head to turn. He realized there really wasn't time to be proud of himself as the vampiress turned back to look at him with a snarl. Before she could do anything about it, he staked her quickly and effectively. She was dust within seconds. The ash cleared just in time to see Joyce staking her vampire from the ground upwards.

"Unh," She grumbled, as she rolled over onto her front to get herself up. He offered a hand to help her and she took it gratefully. As she steadied herself, with his other hand he plucked a leaf out of her hair that had entangled in there from the ground. She frowned when she saw it held in front of her, before shrugging, "It's a look." He gave her a look of his own, "Devil-may-care. Dawn told me it was the new thing in Vogue"

"Who...what were they?" A terrified voice asked and the couple were reminded that the almost-victim was still there.

"Erm...gangs on PCP?" Joyce suggested weakly, using Principal Snyder's favorite excuse for vampires. Snyder- that took her back a few years.

"But he- she, they both turned to dust," The woman challenged, sounding a little unsure of it all herself though.

"Uh, well, you see, ah-" Giles struggled to explain.

"What are you doing taking a shortcut through the cemetery in the middle of the night?" Joyce decided a best defense was a good offense. She put on disapproving-Mother face for extra effect.

"Y-yes," Giles agreed, catching on "Do you realize how dangerous it is walking around here alone? Very irresponsible"

"Well, I was-" The woman began to defend herself, before she decided to stop, her fear at what she saw obviously making her give in, "I'm...I'll just be going home" And she ran off.

"You know," Giles said thoughtfully, "People used to say thank you when you saved their lives..."

Joyce just smiled at him good-naturedly.

"Terrible," She agreed, taking his hand again, "Come on. I think we'd better get home too."

They walked for a few paces, before Joyce stopped.

"What?" He asked.

"I think when we were walking before you had your arm around me," She told him and he immediately complied, wrapping his left arm around her and she held his left hand with her own and she stretched out her right palm so she could hold his other hand. It looked complicated she thought, but felt surprisingly simple.

"Much better," She nodded approvingly and they began to walk home.

"We're back," Joyce called as the two of them walked through the front door and at the sound of her voice Dawn jumped up out of her seat, eager to see how the patrol had gone- but not on the vampire front.

Spike noticed that the couple walked in hand in hand, Joyce seeming to lead Giles into the room in a slightly childish (or teenage...?) fashion, but thankfully only slightly. Apparently then, Dawn's plan had worked. He looked across at the bit and saw she was clearly having the same thought as he as she was wearing a broad smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Joyce asked, catching Dawn's look, but Dawn just smiled even wider when she saw her Mom didn't let go of Giles' hand to ask this question.

"Just Spike was telling jokes," Dawn lied in explanation and both Giles and Joyce looked at him accusingly.

"What?" He held his hands up in mock surrender, "Not those type of jokes I swear."

"Yes..." Joyce nodded, squinting at Spike in suspicion before turning her attention to Dawn, her slight-candy-induced good mood causing her not to lecture Spike on what was and wasn't appropriate topics to talk to Dawn about. So, maybe using the one remaining candy square would help Dawn sneak out to parties...well, what do you know. "Well, Dawn," Joyce said, "I know it's past somebody's bedtime,"

"Okay," Dawn agreed without argument, "Night Spike," She waved to the vampire slightly, giving him a knowing smile after her band candy confession, before kissing her Mom on the cheek, "Night Mom, night Giles," Automatically, falling into routine, she almost kissed Giles goodnight on the cheek. She froze, realizing this wasn't a line that was ever really crossed, Stepfather or no. After all, he was still Giles. Then, seeing the fact that he and her Mom were still hand-holding she got a second burst of good moodiness and decided this once to go with it and so did give Giles a goodnight kiss on the cheek, before heading off upstairs.

"Poke him, he may fall over," Spike joked to Joyce as he looked at Giles' stunned face.

"Guess everyone's in a good mood tonight," Joyce surmised before sitting on the couch with the still stunned Giles. "Oh sweetie," She said, patting his hand affectionately as she saw how touched he was by Dawn's peck on the cheek.

"Hi guys," Willow said, walking into the house with Buffybot, "The bot had a bit of an issue on patrol. Navigational short. She came and found me at Xander's- thought I'd better bring her back before I go to the dorm. Robots cause issues if you have them wandering the residence halls," Willow joked.

"A short?" Giles asked, "How did that happen?"

"Well, I'll have to fix it tomorrow properly," Willow explained, pointing out the slash on the bot's head where the wires were visible, "But I think-" Willow stopped as she realized Giles hadn't leaned forward properly to have a closer look,"You know the shared inspection would work a lot better if you'd two would you know...hehe...cute as it is...stop holding hands"

"No," Joyce told her simply, holding Giles' hand tighter and so inadvertently pulling him closer to emphasize her answer. Spike smirked at this and barely covered up his laugh. They all frowned at him, wondering what he found so funny.

"I'd best be off, don't wanna get caught in the sunrise and all," He told them, leaving before they could point out that sunrise wasn't for five hours.

The next morning, when everyone had left the house, including Buffybot, Joyce was still looking for her purse. She'd found her handbag, her cell, her keys, but no purse...and that was kinda pivotal. She guessed that Buffybot may have accidentally taken it with her to the Magic Box with Giles. Not that she needed the purse, but recently- possibly as an effect of Willow programming her to act more human- she'd taken to taking items that human Buffy would take with her- hairbrush, mirror...and now, apparently,purses as well. Or more specifically Joyce's purse. She decided to just stop by the magic store on the way to the gallery to pick it up.
"Joyce, I thought you were at work today," Xander commented when he saw her walk into the Magic Box and she wondered for a moment how on earth he knew what her work schedule was.

"I-I am," She told him, "After this, is...where's Buffybot?Or more specifically Buffybot's bag?"

"Huh?" Xander frowned.

"Well, it is a stylish bag," Anya admitted, "I think it's one of Dawn's."

"No," Joyce shook her head, "I think she put my purse in there...accidentally."

"Ah," Xander nodded knowingly, "A klepto robot- just what we were missing around here. She's in the training room. Giles is testing her reflexes- checking Will sorted everything out. Her bag's with her I think...not sure though- I don't really pay attention to the bot's accessories."

"Thanks," Joyce smiled before heading in the direction of the training room.

"I don't think that's true," She heard Buffybot saying as she reached the door, "You were very helpful to her"

"Right, I was the perfect Watcher," She heard Giles agree in a bitter voice and Joyce decided she wasn't ready to walk in just yet as she listened in at the door. "And I did what any good Watcher does. I got my Slayer killed in the line of duty."

"It wasn't your fault-" Buffybot protested.

"Of course not," Giles agreed, but Joyce heard that he wasn't quite convinced, "It's how every Slayer-Watcher relationship ends isn't it? She's gone. I did my job"

Joyce decided not to walk into the room at all and turned around to head back out the store.

"Hey, I thought you wanted your purse," Anya called after her.

"I'll get it later," Joyce replied, barely pausing to speak as she walked out the front door.

"Alright pet, Watcher man's already left for patrolling, the rest of the gang are patrolling elsewhere, yet you're still here wandering around,"Spike commented as he watched Joyce flit from room to room, already dressed for the opening at the gallery. She'd definitely gone all out for the occasion-red and white knee length dress that really flattered her shape and even Spike noticed where it emphasized the good bits, matching stilettos and her shoulder-length blond hair was falling more in waves than curls. "What's up?"

"I still can't find my purse," She told him, clearly fretting.

"Maybe Xander put it in his bag," Dawn suggested as she took a bite from some of the leftovers from dinner.

"Pardon?" Joyce asked.

"Xander. The other day when he had that bag and his tool box, he kinda just swooped everything off the side into his bag when he was clearing up"

Realization dawned as Joyce realized she had left her purse on the kitchen side that morning.

"Oh," She exclaimed, grabbing her red coat, "I hope they haven't left yet," She rushed out of the kitchen, before rushing back, "See you later sweetheart and Spike?"

"Don't let her stay up too late, watch scary films, or run with scissors."

"Good, thanks," Joyce smiled at him, blew a quick kiss at Dawn before running out.

"So we have everything?" Xander asked as he looked warily at the urn of Osiris that Tara held in her hands.

"Everything," Willow confirmed, "Candles, Urn-"

There was a knock at the door and all four looked at each other nervously.

The person knocked again.

"Who could that be?" Anya whispered urgently.

"Xander?" Joyce's voice called through the door and the group instantly went into panic as they hid the various ingredients and props for the resurrection spell as Xander headed to the door. Once he was sure everything was well hidden, Xander pulled the door open wide, an everything-is-normal-and-fine smile on his face.

"Whoa," He let out, taking in Joyce's appearance with wide eyes and then inwardly cursing himself for saying that out loud. He really hoped she hadn't clocked on to what he had said, but from the embarrassed look she was wearing and the fact she had almost turned as red as her dress, he guessed that was truly a false hope.

"Erm...thank you Xander," Joyce said simply, before moving on swiftly, "I'm so glad I caught you in time"

"In time before what?" He asked quickly, in a slightly paranoid tone.

"Before patrol...?" She prompted and he nodded with a silent sigh of relief.

"Yeah, patrol. Yeah, we just about to- with the patrolling and-"

"I think you may have taken my purse by mistake," She told him, "I think you may had accidentally dropped it into your bag. The one you brought the other day?"

"Oh right, right, just a min, I'll go get it," He told her before rushing off to find the bag. Joyce waited just inside the doorway, wondering why on earth everybody here seemed so tensely quiet. As though they were up to something. Joyce was about to ask when Xander returned with her purse.

"Here it is," He grinned, handing it to her, "Wasn't my color anyway" It was black. So his comment really didn't make sense he realized.

"Well, uh, thanks," Joyce said, before turning to the rest of the group, "Well, I'll probably see you tomorrow...more than likely."

"Yes," Tara nodded, "H-have a nice night...at the Gallery"

"Thanks, I will"

"Bye," Willow hurriedly waved her off before closing the door, "Phew," She breathed, "So very close. Right, get the stuff again. We'll set out when we're sure she's gone."

As she and Xander went to retrieve the candles they'd hid while Anya and Tara got the urn, Xander turned to Willow with a cringe.

"I can't believe I just whoaed Buffy's Mom. If this spell works- Buffy is so gonna kill me"

"It will work," Willow told him confidently as she handed him two of the black candles, "And if it helps- on the whoa front, I was right there with ya"

"Actually," Xander said in contemplation as they walked back over to Willow and Tara, "That kinda makes it worse"